07.18.08
Posted in Articles at 5:25 pm by Livvie
Everywhere we look it seems we see higher prices and lower morales. Although initally it started with rising gas prices, it now incorporates everything and has touched all businesses.
With layoffs and cutbacks in our workplaces it’s put pressure on companies to make sure their marketing materials maintain the professional image the public is use to seeing and to complicate matters it’s put pressure on those left in the workplace to pick up the slack.
Your written materials are powerful, cost effective marketing tools to clearly communicate your companies strategic message and are critical to your professional image.
With many business operating with fewer employees and remaining employees already under a heavier work load, becoming a wordsmith and a written content specialist with all the material deadlines needed just seems impossible. In fact you find yourself saying more and more “So much to do and so little time!”
Enter the freelance copywriter. A professional copwriter can:
1) Learn your product quickly
2) Discover all its features and benefits
3) Define who your target market is
4) Get a lead on the competion
5) Figure the best strategy to lift your product above the competion with quality wrtten content
Individual projects or multiple projects - from marketing brochures to website content, newsletters to articles, reports to manuals and all materials in between - a freelance copywriter can be the extra set of hands needed to keep that critical professional image and is as close as your “Send” button!
So the next time you’re in a crunch or about to miss a deadline, remember…Yes, there IS a copywriter in the house!
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Livvie Matthews is an Internet and off-line professional freelance copywriter providing creative writing services to large and small businesses. Whether it’s printed marketing materials or web site content, Livvie can meet your challenges and communicate your strategic message in a voice your customers trust and a style they understand. Visit http://www.Writebusiness.net or livvie@writebusiness.net
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05.25.07
Posted in Articles at 11:13 am by Livvie
Ever needed information, asked several different people, and received several different answers?
Even more confusing, how about asking several different people who work in the same office and still receive
several different answers?
This happened to me in a practice I was with. It concerned bleaching or whitening the teeth. The patient had received instructions from the assistant as she was being dismissed in the back.
As the patient was checking out, she asked the front desk to explain it to her again and received a different set of
instructions.
Confused by the information, when the patient got home, she called the office, spoke to another person and received…you
guessed it…. a third set of instructions different from the first two.
This time she asked to speak to the office manager, explained to me what had happened, and expressed her disappointment in the office.
You can believe at that point we had a team meeting, determined how we were going to present this information in the future, printed the information to become part of our procedures, and developed a hand out to our patients.
Now anyone inquiring about or actually bleaching hears the same message no matter which team member is asked.
This type of situation happens all to often. Having a patient receive conflicting information is bad enough, but what’s worse is the trust the patient loses in their perception of the team and the practice. Trust you worked hard to develop…..gone in just a few sentences.
Bleaching instructions is just one situation for consistency. Doing the same procedures over and over, we have a tendency to just take it for granted everybody knows how to explain or present needed information to the patient.
Think about the many different areas developing consistent information would be beneficial: New Patient inquiry’s, Office policy on Accepting Insurance, Financial Arrangements, Emergency Patient inquiry’s, Hygiene visits, Operative procedures…and this is just for starters.
Are you sure your front office (and clinical team) are all giving the same (consistent) information in response to patient inquiry’s? Do you have written responses in place clearly stating the practice vision with specific information for training new (and existing) team members?
What systems do you have in place for making sure this specific information is being consistently used by all team members? How are they receiving the information? Do you have scheduled training sessions that include role playing?
Is the person training new employees doing so representing the practice vision or is the person training with their own ideas on how something should be presented?
This area of communication doesn’t need to be left to chance in the hope or assumption that everyone is responding with your practice’s vision or best interest.
“Internal communications” is a crucial part of (internal) marketing. You wouldn’t allow any external advertising (marketing) to be placed without your final approval in making sure it represented the practice at it’s best.
External advertising is usually a monthly or possibly a one time advertisement. Internal communications are daily…presented over and over…”advertisements” for the practice.
Developing your practice’s internal communications is a critically important step within your office policy and procedures. Your response to specific situations and procedures is how patients perceive your team, their perception of you, and their overall view of your practice.
With Consistency…everyone is on the same page!
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Livvie Matthews is an Internet and off-line professional freelance copywriter providing creative writing services to large and small businesses. Whether it’s marketing brochures, web site content, Americanized content or newsletter, Livvie can meet your challenges and communicate your strategic message. Visit http://www.WriteBusiness.net or livvie@writebusiness.net
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03.04.07
Posted in Articles at 7:35 pm by Livvie
The electronic (e) age is here and along with it comes the most cost effective marketing tool to communicate with your patients/customers.
Keeping your name in front of your patients/customers on a regular basis strengthens your existing relationships and establishes credibility and trust –two of the main ingredients needed to attract and retain quality patients/customers.
Use e-mail marketing to announce office events, important dental health information and tips, special offers, awards, welcome letters, and even appointment confirmations.
Build and strengthen patient relationships. Include your patients in your “dental family” by announcing team members marriages, births, graduations, office trips, and participation with school or charitable events.
Gathering patient e-mail address can be done by adding an e-mail address field on your paper New Patient information form and your online patient forms.
For patients of record ask for e-mail addresses as you update/confirm their current information or simply create a form for patients to write their e-mail addresses.
Make sure you include a “check here to receive more information” box for permission to send e-mails. Note: ALWAYS provide an unsubscribe link in your e-mails to avoid potential issues with unwanted e-mails.
The length and tone of your e-mail messages is entirely your choice. It can be a few lines of text or a detailed newsletter or both.
Your newsletter may be semi-monthly, monthly, or even quarterly. Again it’s your choice. If you choose once a month, then send once a month….every month.
Choosing the 2nd Tuesday of the month is a good example. Then every 2nd Tuesday of the month….send your information. The main thing to remember is once you have made your choice… be consistent!
Remember to always include your web site link and e-mail address in your information along with a notice to feel free to forward the information to a friend.
Your content can be written in-house by you or a team member (if time permits), or by outsourcing content to a freelance writer.
Whoever you choose to write the content needs to understand the purpose and audience of your newsletter. They are representing you and your practice.
Another great e-mail marketing tool is your e-mail signature. It’s your (virtual) online business card. You are (or should be) sending out responses to e-mails every day. Don’t just send your e-mail and type your name.
Advertise your practice and web site every time an e-mail is sent from your office. Your e-mail signature should include your name, office title, practice name, telephone number, e-mail address and most importantly, your web site address.
Remember: Keeping your name in front of your patients is paramount in establishing credibility and trust. With e-mail marketing…It’s your practice’s golden opportunity!
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Livvie Matthews is an Internet and off-line professional freelance copywriter providing creative writing services to large and small businesses. Whether it’s marketing brochures, web site content, Americanized content or newsletter, Livvie can meet your challenges and communicate your strategic message. Visit http://www.WriteBusiness.net or livvie@writebusiness.net
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07.30.06
Posted in Articles at 5:20 pm by Livvie
First there was the fax-on-demand…information received
instantly by using a fax machine. Then the Internet evolved
into the use of e-mail, producing email-on-demand with the
use of autoresponders.
An autoresponder is just what the name implies. It is an auto response that is programmed to automatically deliver a specific message upon receiving the request.
Autoresponders allow your business to be operational around the clock 24 hours a day - 7days a week - 365 days a year. A good example is the Customer Service link provided on so many web sites.
Once you have sent your question or comment to the Customer Service link, you receive an auto-reply message acknowledging receipt of your message.
Autoresponder messages can by used in a variety of ways
delivering your strategic information instantly to your targeted
viewer /audience. Newsletters, sales information, free reports,
even ecourses, articles and tutorials are just a few of the ways
autoresponders can be used effectively.
Follow up is critical to keeping your name, service or product in front of your prospects and clients. Autoresponders allow you to deliver your follow up messages automatically, specifically, and most importantly…timely, to your target audience!
Most all of us are familiar with signing up to receive news about impending sales or discounted items automatically from retail stores. Our e-mail address is entered into their mailing list and the requested information is automatically sent right back using an autoresponder.
But are you aware you too can send pre-determined messages with specific information related to your business, to your prospects and /or clients at pre-set intervals?
For example, let’s say a prospect, client or customer visited your web site and responds to a link on your site to receive more information on your services or products.
Immediately your first autoresponse message goes out thanking them for expressing an interest and giving them the basics on your services or products and any other information in their initial request.
A couple of days later your 2nd message automatically goes out. This is the perfect time to let them know about who you are, your experience, and what you do…your credentials and area of expertise.
A few days later (don’t wait too long), your 3rd message automatically goes out. This could be testimonials and feedback from clients or customers stating the positive experiences they have had as a result of doing business with you. This will associate value with your services.
A couple of days later your 4th message goes out with maybe a free offer, a free bonus, article, special report, or specific tips related to your services or products. If you have an online newsletter (ezine) this is an excellent time to offer a link to your free subscribe area.
Your 5th message could be your final (pitch) response message. Offer any additional products or services you may have that would be of benefit (solve their problem) to your client or customer. Usually by about the 4th or 5th message you have a new client or customer.
The number of messages sent is entirely up to you based on the information you are delivering. If you are offering a tutorial or an e-course for example there could be message for up to 6 weeks or longer. I recently subscribed to receive 89 messages (one a day for 89 days) on a specific subject.
A good impression to ending your response messages, and one more time your name is in front of your audience, is a short survey asking for feedback on your services or your products. This is an excellent way to receive testimonies for use on your web site or other marketing materials.
Using the above example, you can see how autoresponders keep your name and your specific information in front of your targeted prospects, clients, and customers making the critical follow up as easy as (message) 1, 2, 3.
For those of you interested in creating the autoresponder messages yourself for your business, here are the addresses of a few of the most widely used autoresponders:
www.getresponse.com,
www.sendfree.com,
www.aweber.com,
www.responders.com,
www.autoresponders.org,
www.freeautobot.com,
As you can see, having your business on auto pilot using an autoresponder means your time can be better spent marketing your business, creating new services or products (increasing your revenue), or enjoying more quality time with family and friends.
Autoresponders allow you to conduct this critical follow up part of your business to your targeted audience continuously and automatically with little upkeep on your part….allowing you to say, yes, your business IS on Auto-Pilot!
Please feel free to publish this article on your web site, blog and/or in your e-book or newsletters with the authors resource box included and without any changes to the article.
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Livvie Matthews is an Internet and off-line professional freelance copywriter helping large and small businesses enhance their image and increase their bottom line through creative writing services. Whether it’s marketing brochures, web site content, Americanized content or newsletters, Livvie can meet your challenges and communicate your strategic message. Visit http://www.WriteBusiness.net or livvie@writebusiness.net
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Posted in Articles at 4:32 pm by Livvie
Symptom: You want to be a writer, you’ve written several articles, but just n-o-t quite the way you want them. It needs a little more….
Symptom: You want to start a web site, you have finished designing the layout, but just n-o-t quite ready to publish. You need to check on……
Symptom: You have decided on starting your own business, you have everything in place, but just n-o-t quite ready to “open”. There’s one more…..
Diagnosis: ……Paralysis Of Analysis!
I know from personal experience just how this feels. I have had so many ideas, good ideas, but just when it came down to the final step….I needed to “add this” or “change that”, or “just tweak it a little more”.
I “tweaked” it until I tweaked it out! It was never quite right. The result was, it never got completed.
A perfect example is I could have been on the Internet eight years ago, even six years ago, but I managed to “analyze” myself right out of it.
Until I “published” my first website BizyBodies.com, and started my first ezine, BizyBodies.com Ezine, I had only completed three things in my life….Sandra, Susan, and Stacey……my three daughters!
We are of the opinion it has to be “perfect” before we can actually begin whatever it is we are trying to do.
We are stopped because we analyze this, and we analyze that, then….we analyze the analysis. By that time we have contracted…..Paralysis Of Analysis.
So what can you do to get the “feeling” back? To coin a phrase…..”Just do it”!…..It doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, it won’t ever be…perfect.
The term Ready, Aim, Fire comes to mind, however sometimes we need to…. Ready, FIRE, and then Aim. The point is to move yourself forward. You can always go back and make changes, fine tune it, …..”tweak” it. That comes from gaining knowledge and experience.
Now write that article, submit it…design that web site, publish it…research that business, open it…then go back and “tweak” it.
The fact you are reading this “published” (completed) article is a step on the road to recovery which means, I no longer suffer from…..The Paralysis of Analysis!
Please feel free to publish this article on your web site, blog and/or in your e-book or newsletters with the authors resource box included and without any changes to the article.
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Livvie Matthews is an Internet and off-line professional freelance copywriter helping large and small businesses enhance their image and increase their bottom line through creative writing services. Whether it’s marketing brochures, web site content, Americanized content or newsletters, Livvie can meet your challenges and communicate your strategic message. Visit http://www.WriteBusiness.net or livvie@writebusiness.net
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